Two men have been arrested by police investigating reports of a cyber-attack on a chain of nurseries in London.
The Met Police say the pair, aged 17 and 22, were arrested at residential addresses in Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, on suspicion of computer misuse and blackmail.
Hackers were said have stolen the photographs, names and addresses of about 8,000 children from the Kido chain.
The force said it received a referral from the Action Fraud cyber crime reporting service on 25 September detailing a ransomware attack.
The arrested men remain in custody for questioning.
Will Lyne, Met’s Head of Economic and Cybercrime, said: “We understand reports of this nature can cause considerable concern, especially to those parents and carers who may be worried about the impact of such an incident on them and their families.
“These arrests are a significant step forward in our investigation, but our work continues, alongside our partners, to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
Kido did not released any public statements about the hack but parents and nurseries were notified.